Author's Note
I don't OWN Sailor Moon…. Yet the story concept is mine…. Please don't take it without my consent…. PLEASE……….
Well, now everyone gets another chapter this week because I accidently posted the wrong chapter up for you. Enjoy as this may clear up some confusion from last time!
Serena or Catarina?
Chapter 18: Kidnapped Twice? No Way!
"They found her?" Amy asked Trista, who nodded.
"She was heading back towards the school to meet up with all of you. Apparently her jog led her straight to Molly."
"She didn't give herself away, did she?"
"I don't think so. If she had Molly would not have let her walk away," Trista said. "Although just a regular human that girl seems to have the spirit that a Sailor Scout sometimes needs."
"What do you think about how they got separated?"
"Nothing too bad."
"So do you know who she is for sure Trista?"
"I think the only one who doesn't is her."
Although they had clearly explained what they had known, Catarina had gone on as if nothing were wrong.
"Wonderful," Amy said sadly. "If she's really Princess Catarina, like we thought, then she's the reason Serena was kidnapped in the first place."
"This is another example of irony!" Mina said, as Amy sighed.
"Whatever you say Mina," Amy replied. "When is the arrival time?"
"One minute. I suggest you get off the road there," Trista said, as Raye, Mina, and Amy moved to the sidewalk. They didn't wait too long as Amara came flying up the road, coming to a dead halt right next to them.
"I'd say keep an eye on Serena—but you know," she said sheepishly. "She actually fell asleep during my driving. Can you believe that?"
"Yes," all three sighed.
"Wow, tough crowd," Amara said. She looked back to the backseat, to discover it was empty. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"
"This is going to be a long night. Someone call Serena's parents. She's got another overnight study session."
"I could have sworn she was in the backseat," Michelle noted thoughtfully.
"SO COULD I!" Amara fumed…
"It's amazing that she gets lost in the tunnels," Mandessa said, looking around at the cold atmosphere with disgust. Her mother nodded in agreement, as she looked to the Sandstonian knight that awaited her arrival.
"Is that Knight Samuel?" her mother asked. Mandessa's face filled with life (and love) as she ran to the knight, and the two embraced.
"Samuel!" she exclaimed. "Oh how I've missed you so!"
"I as well My Lady," Samuel replied with a warm smile. "Was your journey safe?"
"Safer than its been in ages!" Mandessa replied. She brought her voice to a whisper. "Was I right? Did she bear the same resemblance as the princess?"
"The exact same. She even claimed to be the Moon Princess," the knight, Samuel whispered.
"Then the rumor is true," Mandessa whispered. "I heard that they had survived—but then this means that Catarina was pretending from the moment she arrived to be Serenity. Have you found their hideout?"
"The queen is well hidden. However, the 'princess' is with a solitary guard in the tunnels, as was suspected. We must stall their discovery as long as possible, both the queen and the princess."
"How long do you think we have until they arrive?"
"The last message I received said in ten hours or more. How long can you stall your mother's entry?"
"The longer we talk the better," Mandessa replied quietly. "She wouldn't dare interrupt our conversation."
"So, how was your journey to Earth?" Samuel asked, raising his voice some.
"Other than Terrance proving himself to be a real bastard of a half-demon, it was a very enterprising journey. I have found that the clothing on Earth is very fashionable, and I managed to get quite a few new outfits for royal processions and such."
"What were the Earthlings like?"
"No different from ourselves," Mandessa replied softly. "We could probably visit undetected."
"You mean we could work out treaties without major panic."
"That too," she giggled…
"Boss, I brought you Serena Tsukino, just like you asked," the demon said, presenting the unconscious girl. The figure in the shadows laughed. "Boss?"
"Finally! We have the ultimate ransom! The Sailor Scouts will be destroyed!" the figure replied, as a quiet, smaller demon stepped in.
"Boss?" the demon squeaked.
"What? Can't you see I'm relishing a superb and historical day for our kind?"
"That's not Serena Tsukino," the demon squeaked, cowering.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that Rowan and his troops spotted her in the Forbidden Lands with her crystal. They launched an assault earlier, but were defeated," the tiny demon squeaked, fearing for his life.
"You're kidding?" the other demon said, now too, fearing for his life due to his imminent failure from this news.
"THEN WHO IS THIS?"
The demons shuddered.
"WAKE HER UP!"
The two nodded…
Catarina awoke in a dark room. She heard their voices, and jumped up to her feet in fright.
"Who are you?" a voice demanded.
"Serena Tsukino," Catarina replied, looking around.
"She sounds exactly like her!" a squeaky voice shouted.
"I told you she did!"
"You can't be. Where is the Silver Imperium Crystal?"
"The crystal?" Catarina asked, her eyes finally adjusting, and she saw the demons in front of her. She saw the room was filled with even more demons as she felt a weird sense of hopelessness. And for a moment, she wished that she were Sailor Moon, or that Terrance could come to her rescue (wow, she really lost it!). There was no where to go, and she needed severe help. Then again, she did scare away demons with her normal appearance. She could just change—no, she needed to stick with it. They seemed to be confused by her statement.
"She looks like her. She sounds like her. She even acts like her!" came the shouts. Catarina looked around, and suddenly noticed that they were out in the open. She could see the night sky… in fact, she could distinguish the different constellations. She had seen them in the night sky over Italy when Galileo had visited her. He had even pointed them out to her once. It was almost romantic—until he started bringing up early physics.
"So I'm in Italy?" she wondered in her mind. "Oh wait, the season matters too, doesn't it? Great, I'm lost."
"Hold it right there!" a voice shouted. The demons all turned, as Catarina saw what seemed to be the shadow of a Sailor Scout.
"Oh no. This just went from bad to worse," Catarina thought horrifically.
"Leave that poor girl alone!" another voice added. She then noted another shadow with her.
"They don't seem to know those aren't real," Catarina thought hopefully. The two both smiled demonically, as they raised their hands. "Oh no. Don't fire, please don't fire."
"I think they need to realize they've walked outta the kitchen," one said.
"And into the fire!" the other finished. The demons all laughed, but were quickly corrected as the flames flew at them. The demons came to life as they ran to fight, and Catarina stood dumbfounded as the two shadows beat up the demons one by one. A demon grabbed her.
"We're out of here," it squeaked.
"Hey! Let me go!" Catarina exclaimed, as the two were gone…
Serena looked around the room. It was the diary sitting on the table that held her attention. Thomas had not moved from the wall since they had last spoken. He was sound asleep. She went back to the book, and looked over the empty pages.
"So you are down here," a voice said, as Serena jumped. Terrance had come in through the entrance. "My lady, please tell me you do not believe that to be your diary?"
"It's not my diary," Serena replied. "It's Catarina's."
"Right," Terrance said, looking almost—evil as he towered over her. Serena took a step back. "My lady, please do not tell me that you believe these lies."
"Then I won't," Serena said bluntly. She noted that Thomas was somehow unable to awaken, his body tense as he slept.
"Right," Terrance said, drawing another step closer. Serena took another step back. "My lady, please tell me that you do not believe that he will protect you from this world."
"Then I won't," Serena replied.
"Right," Terrance said, as he stepped forward, and she stepped back. "My lady, then might I suggest that you watch your step. If you intend to continue on this path, you may not make it."
"Master Terrance," a voice squeaked. Terrance turned on a dime to something in the corner. "I got the girl, just like you asked."
"Did you bring her with you here?"
"Yes. Do you wish for me to leave her here?"
"Yes. Now rid yourself from here, Drexel, before I awaken the guard," Terrance said, as another girl fell into the room, and hard. She slowly moved to her feet, and looked around carefully. Terrance looked at the girl, and nodded with a soft smile as he left the room, stepping through a portal. Then the girl came eye to eye with Serena. The two looked at one another for two minutes of dead silence. They appeared to be twins in every way.
"No way! You're me!" they exclaimed. They held their hands to their mouths, and looked at one another closer.
"Are you—Serena?" the girl asked, her voice now distinctly British.
"Yes, now who are you?" Serena demanded. "And why are you wearing my clothes?"
"No way!" she cheered. "This is total irony!"
"What?"
"Um—your friends talked me into pretending to be you for a little while. But now since I found you, I can go back to America, and I can quit this outfit!"
"What's wrong with that outfit?"
"Nothing, it's your eating habits!" she said, brushing off the skirt.
"Well sorry for my appetite!" Serena replied. "Wait, my friends?"
"Yes, Rini, Raye, Lita, Mina, Amy, Amara, Michelle, Trista, Luna, and Artemis. Then there was Darien too, wasn't there?"
"You've talked to by friends?" Serena asked, grabbing the girl by the shoulders. "You've got to tell them about Darien. He's in danger from that man who was just in here."
Suddenly the girl's eyes came to life.
"Oh Aristotle! Terrance!" she shouted, and started to run, tripped, and fell. Serena helped her to her feet, and then the two fell.
"Maybe that was a bad idea," Serena said, as the girl nodded, and the two got to their feet again. "You knew his name?"
"He was out to kill Tuxedo Mask. Of course I know who he is."
"Wait, you know about Tuxedo Mask?"
"You know Terrance."
Thomas finally awoke, shocked to see double.
"What is going on here?" Thomas asked, as an awkward silence followed. Serena and the girl both looked at one another, waiting for the other to answer. Apparently they had as much a clue as Thomas…
"How could we lose her!" Raye shouted, angry. "How!"
The group was meeting up later that evening, seeing as they were now two Serena's short of an alibi, and if they didn't do anything, there was going to be a few people who would notice in the morning. Not to mention that a new, semi-friendly face had joined their ranks.
"We'll just have to find her, but we also have to find Serena."
"Are you saying y'all are just goin' to let her be?" Jennifer demanded. "That chica gets into more trouble with every second she's outta yer sight."
"Why Lita?" Amara asked for the fifteenth time.
"She isn't evil," Lita said sadly. "You have to understand. It's not difficult for her to follow me anyhow, even if I did tell her no."
"She's got a point," Darien said. "So are you heading out in the morning still?"
"Yes," the group sighed.
"Do y'all mind if I tag along? Ya never know when y'all'll need a hand."
"Actually, we need someone to go ahead of us," Amy said. "We need to stall anything that's bound to be happening over there."
"You mean stall Mandessa's inevitable discovery of Serenity. I get the hint. The Sandstonians will hafta deal wit me," Jennifer sighed. "I'll meet y'all when you get there then. I hope y'all have a safe journey."
"We will," Rini exclaimed reassuringly. "You too, okay?"
"Thanks," Jennifer said, shocked at her kindness…
Author's Note
Next time…
"What happened to your hair?"
Wow, that's vague… oh well… later!